Clifford Chance drops employees

UK giant Clifford Chance cut the number of firm employees during 2009/10 by 12 per cent, reports The Lawyer. According to the firm's LLP accounts, the average number of employees at the magic circle firm dropped from 7,147 to 6,309, with partner numbers falling by 12 per cent, associate numbers by 13 per cent and trainees and support staff falling by 11 per cent.

CMS Cameron McKenna outsources to kill jobs

UK firm CMS Cameron McKenna is attempting to outsource almost its entire back-office function to Integreon; a move which could result in more than half the firm's London support staff being relocated or made redundant, reports Legal Week. Details of the move revealed that 9 per cent of 363 global business services staff will face losing their jobs, with a further 21 per cent asked to relocate to either Bristol or India.

Al-Qaeda attacker gets life

A US judge has sentenced Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani to life in prison for his role in the Al-Qaeda conspiracy to bomb two US embassies in East Africa in 1998, reports law.com. The judge rejected a plea for leniency by defence lawyer Peter Quijano, who claimed that Ghailani had been tortured by CIA agents, had provided intelligence to the CIA, and had only been found guilty of one of 285 counts - conspiracy to destroy US buildings and property - against him.

Obama berates lawyers

US President Barack Obama criticised lawyers in the annual State of the Union address last week, reports law.com. Obama was critical in regards to two issues: the tax code and medical costs, and pointed the finger at lawyers as being part of the problem. Obama urged Congress to "simplify" the tax system by removing "loopholes" and trying to "level the playing field". His comments regarding taxes were targeted at lawyers and others who assist corporations to reduce their tax bills.

Norton Rose loses Islamic finance guru

Norton Rose's global Islamic finance head, Neil Miller, has quit the firm to join accountancy giant KPMG, reports The Lawyer. Miller will soon leave Norton Rose's Dubai office for KPMG, where he will help build the company's global Islamic financial advisory business. Norton Rose's Islamic finance team will now be led by three partners who will act as regional heads.